Page 30 of The Lighthouse on Plum Island
“I hope you’re going to change out of that stuffy suit?” Harriet circled her hand with her fingers splayed out around his suit.
“I’m going to wear shorts and a linen shirt,” Brad assured her. “Besides, it’s too hot to be in this stuffy suit.”
They walked down the hall together, stopping at Harriet’s door. “Good, and please don’t wear that ugly red shirt with the yellow swirls on it.”
“They’re flowers!” Brad defended his island shirt. “I’ll have you know I got that in Hawaii.”
“This isn’t Hawaii!” Harriet pointed out and gave a snort. “And I’m sure Hawaii was glad to see that shirt leave the state.”
“Rosa’s Hawaiian, and she likes my shirt!” Brad raised his chin.
“No, Rosa doesn’t!” Harriet shook her head and pursed her lips. “But she loves you. You’re like a son to her, and that’s what mothers do. They lie so they don’t hurt their kid’s feelings.” She stopped and frowned. “Or at least that’s what good mothers do.Not my mother, though.” She widened her eyes and shuddered. “Queen Julie was born emotionally impaired.”
“Harry, you’ve got to stop beating your mother down.” Brad sighed. “She’s trying.”
“Yeah, like forty years too late!” Harriet opened her room door. “I won’t be long. I’ll meet you at the elevator.”
“Okay!” Brad walked off and heard her door click closed as he neared his suite.
He was about to reach for the door handle when the door flew open.
“I’m ready!” Connor stood facing him.
“I’m not!” Brad indicated his suit by sweeping his hand over it.
“Ah!” Connor nodded and stepped back to allow Brad into the suite.
“I’m going to find Sam,” Connor told him eagerly, his eyes shining with excitement. “Do you know that he knows the Finnster?” He followed Brad to his room and stood at the door. “He was friends with the Finnster’s father. Sam said he’d introduce me to him.”
“That’s nice of him.” Brad pulled off his tie and started to undo the buttons of his shirt. “I won’t be long.”
“Okay, I’ll meet you at the limo.” Connor turned and disappeared.
Ten minutes later, dressed in tailored cotton shorts, a linen short-sleeved shirt, and sneakers, Brad met Harriet. She’d changed her beach outfit for a soft blue summer dress, low-heeled matching sandals with her hair swept back into a loose knot and her designer shades hanging from her hand.
“Oh, thank goodness you didn’t wear the red eye-sore.” Harriet grinned at the black look Brad shot her. “I had visions of spilling red wine on it, so you’d have to take it off.”
“We’re not having red wine. We’re going sightseeing.” Brad hit the elevator button.
“Oh, I organized a glass to be ready at the concierge desk,” Harriet told him as they stepped into the elevator.
A few minutes later, Brad, Connor, and Harriet were heading down the coastal road toward Cobble Cove lighthouse. When they turned out of the inn’s parking lot, Sam took a right toward the lighthouse instead of a left to the small town of Plum Island. The road was a long downhill curve that eventually evened out as it rounded Cobble Cove Beach.
“From the ocean, looking onto Cobble Cove, you’ll notice that it’s shaped like the number three,” Sam explained. “There are three cliff points that jut into the sea.”
When they were level with the beach, it wasn’t visible through the thicket of trees that hid it from the road. Two car parks fed the beach. A smaller one on the side of the beach and a larger one across the road. Brad noted that restrooms and signs pointed to Cobble Cove Nature Walk and camping grounds.
“What are the camping grounds like?” Brad asked Sam.
“Oh, I’d love to go camping, Dad.” Connor’s head swiveled toward the camping ground side of the road.
“I wouldn’t mind a camping trip.” Harriet surprised them all by saying. “My father once had a tent pitched for us, our resident home, because my brother and I wanted to camp.” She sighed. “It wasn’t the camping trip we envisioned.”
“Maybe we can go camping for a few nights while we’re here?” Connor turned to look at his father, hopefully.
“I’ll keep the idea in mind,” Brad promised.
“It is a lovely camping ground. Especially at this time of year,” Sam informed them.
